INSIDE THE RING NEWSLETTER
Edition 29
by Trevor Hunnicutt and Eddie T
WWE SMACKDOWN THOUGHTS FOR DECEMBER 30, 2004
Report by PWInsider’s Buck Woodward. Eddie’s Analysis is in red.
Smackdown for December 30th opened with General Manager Theodore R. Long announcing that tonight would be the “Night Of Champions” with all Smackdown champions defending their belts against an opponent of their choosing. The Smackdown opening then aired.
The idea of having a “Night of Champions” gimmick was good on paper. The concept itself was good, and got the attention of viewers, but I felt that other than the Tag Team Titles match, the execution was horrible. It caused a not-so-hot SmackDown overall.
U.S. Champion John Cena came to the ring and cut a rap, renaming his fans the “Chain Gang”. Cena went out into the crowd to greet his “gang”, then returned to the ring and said it didn’t matter who he faced tonight. Rene Dupree came out, and said he would make Cena’s choice for him. Dupree said he would win the U.S. Title, and Cena told him to “come get some” and pulled Dupree into the ring to start the match.
U.S. Champion John Cena vs. Rene Dupree. Cena dominated early, hitting right hands and a fisherman’s suplex. Cena put on Dupree’s ring robe and did the “You Can’t See Me” bit, then did the French Tickler dance before hitting the Five Knuckle Shuffle fistdrop. Dupree rolled out of the ring as Cena pumped up his sneakers. Cena went after him, and threw Dupree back into the ring. Dupree kicked Cena in the head as he got back in. Cena battled back, but Dupree reversed a whip and went for a superplex. Cena shoved it off, but Dupree ducked a flying bodypress. Dupree did the French Tickler dance, and Cena tackled Dupree. Cena hit a second tackle, but ran into a Dupree elbow. Cena gave Dupree a Hot Shot out of a Fireman’s Carry position, hanging Dupree on the top rope, then kicked him in the head from the apron. Cena pumped up his sneakers and hit the FU for the pin at the four minute mark. Winner: John Cena.
Backstage, Amy Weber accused Joy Giovanni of gaining weight over the holiday season. Joy said Amy had a neck like a turkey. JBL got in Joy’s face, but Big Show stepped between them. JBL went to leave, and Show accused him of running away. JBL said he was the champion, he didn’t run away. Show said to prove it by putting the WWE Title on the line against him. JBL said he would “take it into consideration” and walked away.
I have to admit – Cena’s promo, one of importance (especially the way it was portrayed), was border-line goofy, but did the job. He managed to carry the segment well. They basically wanted to establish the fact that John Cena has arrived onto the scene, and that he’s the new “People’s Champion,” so to speak. The “Chain Gang” could be a silly way to go, but it worked, and the segment turned into gold. This could turn out to be a very important promo, as it might be the first words of a John Cena who establishes himself as the franchise on SmackDown. The match with Dupree, and the first title defense of the night was also carried well. Those two seem to have OK matches with each other.
Kurt Angle came to the ring, accompanied by security guards to watch his gold medal. Angle got on the mic, and said that JBL was a generous person, and that he never backs down to a challenge, so he wanted JBL to give him a WWE Title match tonight. Angle then began the next Kurt Angle Hometown Invitational.
Kurt Angle vs. Matt Stryker. Tazz remarked that Stryker looked familiar to him. Angle hit him in the head with the microphone, then tossed him to the mat. Angle ripped at Stryker’s head as he went to the ropes. Stryker’s forehead was busted open. Angle took Stryker to the mat, and Stryker managed to reverse a waistlock, but Angle dropped down and applied the ankle lock for the win in a minute. Winner: Kurt Angle.
The Local White Boy Challenge, or the Kurt Angle Invitational as it is formally known, has lost its steam. Although it’s deeply appreciated of WWE to keep Kurt Angle on TV every week, I think they need to give that segment an edge a bit, so it’s interesting again. There’s certainly a lot of places they can go wtih it, when they have someone win. By the way, how stupid is Angle to ask every local here where they are from? The rule is that they have to be from the city the show takes place in! Ugh!
Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam were in the back discussing their possible opponents for tonight. RVD joked that he wanted to face the Fabulous Moolah & Mae Young. Eddie Guerrero and Booker T entered and exchanged pleasantries. Guerrero said that JBL would never agree to defend the WWE Title against them, but they knew RVD and Rey would give them a title shot. Rey said they would think about it. Booker T and Eddie Guerrero acted confident, but Guerrero didn’t like it when Booker said his name first, so they started to argue. RVD and Rey walked off, while the to argued over whose name should be introduced first. When they stopped arguing and realized Rey and RVD were gone, Eddie wondered if they were still going to get the title shot.
Booker and Eddie continue to impress people with the great chemistry they have, and the way they play off of each other. Great segment.
It was announced that The Undertaker would face Heidenreich at the Royal Rumble, at the Undertaker would be allowed to pick the stipulation for the match.
Daniel Puder entered the locker room and introduced himself to some of the wrestlers. He pushed someone’s bag off a bench and started to get changed, when Hardcore Holly approached him, saying it was his bag he had dropped. Puder introduced himself and Holly refused to shake his hand. Holly belittled Puder’s eight weeks of training in Tough Enough, and Puder said that Holly had spent eleven years in the business and never main evented Wrestlemania. Puder arrogantly said he had his spot in the Royal Rumble, and after winning it, he would be in the main event at Wrestlemania. Holly said Puder “had a lot to learn” and walked off. Puder blew off Holly’s comments.
I just can’t believe it. I can not believe that they just dropped the ball on Puder in one three-minute segment. That’s all it took to kill him. Unbelievable. There should be absolutely no excuse for why they turned him the way they did. Even if they take him off tv, which they should at this point in time, that’s not the way to go. This was worse than Johnny Nitro, and I mean every single horrible second of it.
Theodore R. Long was chatting with a woman when JBL entered with Amy Weber and Orlando Jordan. JBL had a fishbowl, and said he would pick his challenger for tonight out of the names in the bowl. He pulled one out, but didn’t like it, and was going to draw again. However Long, without seeing the name, said JBL had to defend against whoever he had just picked out.
JBL came to the ring with Orlando Jordan and Amy Weber, and gave the ring announcer the name of his opponent … Shannon Moore.
WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Shannon Moore. JBL ran out of the ring as Moore came out and hit a boot to the face. JBL tossed Moore into the ring, hit a powerbomb and a series of short-arm clotheslines, then pinned Moore in under a minute. Winner: John Bradshaw Layfield.
Theodore R. Long came down to the ring as JBL celebrated, and the show went to break. Back from commercial, Long insisted on seeing all the names in the fishbowl. Weber started to leave the ring, as JBL complained to Long about challenging his integrity. Joy Giovanni came down, grabbed the fishbowl, and hit Weber with it, then started to pound her. Long had referees break it up, and Weber ran off. Long picked up the papers from the fishbowl, and they all said Shannon Moore on them. Long demanded an explanation from JBL. JBL blamed Orlando Jordan for it, and Jordan said it was his fault, not JBL’s. Long told JBL that he would face Kurt Angle at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Title. Angle came out, a smile on his face, and thanked Long. Angle said Smackdown needed a champion who was a “role model” not someone who would “deceive the public”. JBL again tried to blame Jordan for what happened, and Angle called JBL “Bucko” again. Angle said JBL was picking on people smaller than him, and JBL said Angle was doing that every week with his challenged. The two argued, and Long interrupted and told them that the match at the Royal Rumble would be a triple threat match, with the Big Show. The Big Show came out, and JBL, Jordan and Angle all left the ring.
Classic heel move. Been there, done that. Making the main event at the Royal Rumble a Triple Threat guarantees a solid match, seeing as Show and Angle always tend to have good matches when it’s one-on-one. Angle seems to bring the best out of Show, when they wrestle. With JBL added to the mix, I think these three guys will carry each other well, and Angle will help make the match above average.
Josh Mathews interviewed Carlito Caribbean Cool, who said that Theodore R. Long had been unfairly treating him and JBL. Carlito said no one would stand up to Long, but he would, and his New Year’s resolution was to get Long out of power as General Manager. Cool acted like he was going to spit apple at Josh, but walked away, only to come back and spit it at Josh anyway.
Heidenreich came to the ring and cut a promo about how he wasn’t afraid of the Undertaker, and that he would destroy him at the Royal Rumble. The lights went out, and Undertaker’s voice rang out, promising that Heidenreich would “rest in peace” at the Royal Rumble. Four druids then wheeled a casket to ringside. Heidnereich approached the casket, reassuring himself that everything was okay, when Undertaker popped out of it. Undertaker glared at Heidenreich, who looked spooked in the ring. Michael Cole speculated that Undertaker wanted a casket match at the Royal Rumble.
Backstage, Mark Jindrak & Luther Reigns and The Basham Brothers were arguing over who were getting the tag team title match with Mysterio & Van Dam tonight. Guerrero and Booker T walked by and told both teams neither were getting the title match, they were.
I am glad that they debuted Carlito Carribean Cool on SmackDown. He is just full of charisma and character, and has potential in great quantities. I feel that he really has a bright future in the business. His wrestling has a lot of room for improvements, but he’s in no way as green as some of the people WWE is working with (Heidenreich, Tomko, etc). As far as his promo here goes, I’m guessing with Jesus out and Carlito injured, they’re just trying to come up with a way to keep him on TV, which is a positive. Heidenreich by himself, with no Paul Heyman, is a catastrophe. Need I say more? To add to the third segment (Man, there was tons of backstage segment in this show!), I liked that the tag teams were fighting over who will get the shot, because it made the tag team belts look important. I must admit, it was done well.
Cruiserweight Champion Sho Funaki vs. Spike Dudley. Funaki started off fast with a armdrag and dropkick, then worked him over with punches in a corner. Spike ducked around Funaki and took him down with a one armed powerbomb for a two count. Spike rammed Funaki into a turnbuckle and slammed him, but missed a double stomp as Funaki rolled away. Spike kicked Funaki into the ringpost, ribs first, then pulled him tot he floor and rammed him back first into the ring apron. Spike stomped Funaki down in the corner, but Funaki came back with right hands. Funaki hit an enzugiri, and scored the win with a sunset flip at the five minute mark. Winner: Sho Funaki.
A video on Smackdown in Iraq was shown.
Three hot babes were backstage checking out John Cena. They started flirting with him, and he acted shy and goofy. They asked about “seeing it”, “touching it” and “playing with it”. Of course, they were referring to the new U.S. Title belt.
The Raw Rebound was shown.
Well, so far, Funaki’s win has really done more bad than it’s done any good, but it’s still too early for me to judge. Hopefully they’ll spice things up by adding some sort of gimmick to his title run. The video from Iraq was great, and it really is very cool of WWE to support our troops the way they do. The segment with Cena and the women seemed down-right stupid, but Cena played it out to be that way, which made it funny. Wow, he really is changing his persona around in a lot of aspects of his character. Wasn’t it nice that the women introduced themselves to Cena since nobody really knew who they are? Seeing as there’s 14 new divas every show now…
Josh Mathews interviewed Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio. Van Dam revealed that they would take on Torrie Wilson & Dawn Marie for the belt. Mysterio then seriously answered the question, saying they would face Eddie Guerrero & Booker T … then face Dawn and Torrie later.
WWE Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam vs. Eddie Guerrero & Booker T. As Guerrero and Booker came out, they aired clips of them in Iraq, and giving their thoughts on the trip. Guerrero and Mysterio started off, trading armdrags and headscissors, with Rey getting the better of it. Booker T tagged in, and worked over Rey in a corner. RVD tagged in, and hit Booker with a springboard bodypress for a two count. Booker hit a back suplex to escape a side headlock, but RVD maintained the hold. Booker got out and missed a side kick, and RVD hit a spin kick. Van Dam slammed Booker and Rey tagged in for the 4:20 double legdrop. All four men ended up in the ring, with RVD and Rey being sent to the floor by Guerrero and Booker as they went to break.
Back from break, Rey was kicking at Booker’s leg, but Booker whipped Rey into the ringpost shoulder first and tagged in Guerrero, who hit a slingshot senton for two, then put a hammerlock on Rey’s hurt arm. Eddie applied a reverse flying hammerlock, but RVD ran in to break it up with a kick. Booker tagged in and hit a spin kick for a two count. Booker kept covering, but Rey kept kicking out. Guerrero and Booker kept tagging in and out, working over Rey. Guerrero got a two count with a back suplex. Van Dam finally got the hot tag and went to work on Guerrero, hitting a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. Van Dam hit a monkey flip, and Mysterio dropkicked Guerrero in the face. RVD knocked Booker off the apron and hit a five star frog splash on Guerrero, but Booker broke it up. Booker and Rey fought to the floor, as RVD missed a charge and ran into the ringpost. Guerrero tagged in Booker, who hit some right hands on RVD and chopped him in the corner. RVD battled back, but Booker floored him with a right hand. Booker hit a jumping kick for a two count. Guerrero tagged in and gave RVD three consecutive vertical suplexes for a two count. Booker tagged back in and hit a Bookend on RVD, but Rey broke up the cover. Guerrero and Rey tagged in at the same time, and Rey hit a slingshot senton and a spinning armdrag on Guerrero. Rey gave Booker T a kick, then gave Guerrero a top rope rana, but Booker broke up the cover. Guerrero and RVD were tossed to the floor, and Booker accidentally kicked referee Nick Patrick. Rey gave Booker the 619, but Guerrero tripped him as he went for a springboard. Booker gave Rey an ax kick, but RVD gave Booker a spinkick. RVD and Booker battled over the top rope to the floor, leaving Guerrero in the ring with a downed Rey and referee. Guerrero debated whether he should use the title belt, and decided to put it on top of Rey and make it look like Rey had used it on him. Rey pleaded his case to the referee, while Guerrero pretended to be knocked out. Guerrero would sit up and wave at Rey behind the ref’s back, then lie back down, and finally got caught. Eddie argued with the referee, and Rey caught Guerrero in a bodyscissors into a rollup for the pin at the twenty minute mark. Winners: Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam.
They replayed the end of the match, with Tazz pointing out that if Guerrero’s trick had gotten Rey disqualified, it wouldn’t have gotten Guerrero and Booker the title belts.
This saved the show. Literally. A tremendous match from four very good workers, and a hilarious promo by the tag champs before the bout. Good ending to SmackDown. Definitely turned things around, as far as an overall grade for the show goes!
Overall Thoughts
Grade: 6.5
As the weeks come and go, SmackDown seems to lose its direction more and more, and continues, on the flip hand, to give us more and more hope. There’s a few guys (and their respective storylines) that seem to establish more and more with time, which is only a good thing. However, there seems to be a whole lot more that is just not working on the program. I think this week’s show will be remembered with John Cena’s promo, which was to finally say “I have arrived as a major force on this show.” Whether that was successful or not I will leave up to you, but I felt that it did the job, and at the end of the segment, Cena had won the people over. He continues to get the loudest ovation in the arenas, and seems to be the most over superstar in the company. WWE will most likely run the ball with him in 2005, and after this week, I’m not sure what will happen. Although he got a tremendous response, they’re putting him in a lot of lame and goofy segments, that are border-line and barely work out (mostly thanks to Cena being able to play off of whatever he’s doing, even if it’s down-right goofy). Time will tell what happens here. Carlito Carribean Cool is a potential success, and I’m glad he’s on the show. I can see Heidenreich taking some time off (a long period of time off, too), following the Royal Rumble. It’s important that they announced three bouts for the Rumble already! Daniel Puder turning heel was the epitomy of how ignorant the company can be these days, for no apparent reason. Scary.
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE FOR DECEMBER 23, 2004
(Special Guest – TBL’s Lou Corsaro)
Trevor’s Thoughts are in blue.
Lou’s Thoughts are in green.
Eddie’s Thoughts are in red.
Smackdown for December 23rd, taped last week in Iraq, opened with the usual Smackdown opening video, before showing U.S. Troops gathered at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq.
Vince McMahon came down to the ring, as Tazz & Michael Cole informed us that we would be hearing messages from the troops throughout the show. Vince said that the superstars were all there to say “Thank You” to the troops. Vince said they came to boost the spirits of the troops, but it was the troops that were boosting their spirits. Vince said the media only reports on the negative in Iraq, and not all the positive progress the troops are making. Vince said he was going to look up the “negative media types” when he got back home and tell them to “go to hell”. Vince then introduced Raw ring announcer Lilian Garcia, clad in a sexy Santa outfit, while Cole and Tazz explained that Lilian had grown up on military bases as a child. Lilian then sang the national anthem. The troops chanted “USA” following the anthem.
Trevor: Well, it started well. When Vince ranted on the media, however, he did one of two things: reveal his ignorance or unconsciously respond to the media that covers his business. It made for a good pop from troops who don’t realize that the news media are the ones who keep military troops out of war and report truth when their own commander in chief neglects it. This is a forum to entertain the troops, not to outline political beliefs, a line WWE has had trouble understand before this.
Lou: I was a little off-put right from the start with Vince’s speech. Being a journalist for the past 10 years, I wonder who he was even talking about. To me, he was dividing his audience and confusing them right from the start. However, they muck little things like this up, though, I do have to give them all credit for going there. And, by the way, Lillian Garcia is very, very hot.
Eddie: Wrestling is a work. Vince’s escape from reality in front of an audience who would have popped for almost anything he said was no different. I think that this is one of the very few times that I had goose bumps listening to Lillian sing the national anthem. I would rank is as the second most important time she’s done the song on TV, and it has meant much more than just respect to the song itself. The other time being the SmackDown show they did following 9/11, this was a classic opening with Garcia’s beautiful voice.
A video was shown on the wrestlers traveling to Iraq, with lots of candid footage of the wrestlers traveling in a military plane, and having to wear helmets and flak jackets.
Rene Dupree vs. Booker T. Rene was booed, coming to the ring with a French flag, as Michael Cole reminded us that France was against the operations in Iraq. Booker dominated early, but missed a scissor kick, and Dupree scored with a low mule kick. Dupree stomped Booker down, then did the French Tickler dance before dropping an elbow for two. Dupree put Booker in a chinlock, but Booker elbowed out. Booker hit a flapjack and a side kick, then planted him with a spinebuster. Booker did a spinarooni and hit the scissor kick for the pin at the four minute mark. Winner: Booker T.
Trevor: Effective match.
Lou: After watching this, I’m wondering if the ring is different in some way. Dupree and Booker seemed flat and slow in the ring, although that could be jet lag.
Eddie: I don’t think having Dupree do his French Phenom gimmick was too smart here, but it worked. Obviously, this will be a face beats heel night all the way throught he end. Good start.
We heard the story of a female soldier who is going home soon, but her husband (also a soldier) was being called into duty and would be coming into Iraq at the same time that she is leaving.
Another video package was shown, this one including the wrestlers being given instructions from the soldiers while they were traveling. Mick Foley talked about traveling over the country in a chopper, and seeing how many Iraqis were happy to see the soldiers. They also showed footage of a school being built. They showed JBL joking around with the troops, and Rey Mysterio looking at a “mortar garden” which was comprised of mortar and missile fragments that had been shot at them. After a commercial, another package was shown, with several of the workers being made into honorary “Steel Tigers” since they had been mortared during their visit.
Trevor: These segments were really good.
Lou: The segments are well-done but, really, does Rey HAVE to wear the mask for this? I mean, give me a break. He looks like an idiot with the military gear and the mask.
Eddie: Very effective segments.
Santa Claus came to the ring, and thanked the troops, then said he had brought presents for them all. Santa then brought out some “extra special presents”, which were Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie and Miss Jackie. Santa and the Divas (including Lilian) tossed out gifts and gave hugs to the troops. Santa then brought the Divas back into the ring, and gave them each lingerie as a Christmas gift, except Dawn Marie, who got a half-drank bottle of Gatorade, since she was “naughty” this year. This led to Dawn trying to steal Jackie’s present, and the two got into a catfight. Torrie then “revealed” that Santa was actually Mick Foley.
Trevor: Really fun segment.
Lou: OK, it was really, really bad, but I enjoyed it. You have to consider more than quality with this stuff. If this were on Smackdown, I’d be annoyed. But you have to give the soldiers the women. Although the segment did magnify how much better looking Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie are than Miss Jackie.
Eddie: This would be considered poor quality if it was on a regular show, but otherwise, I’d say it was a fun segment, especially for the troops.
They told the story of a single mom who is serving in the army in Iraq.
They reviewed how Heidenreich cost The Undertaker the WWE Title at Armageddon.
The Undertaker vs. Heidenreich. Undertaker came out in his ring gear, no coat or hat. They did have some smoke (very little) for his entrance. Taker stomped Heidenreich down in the corner at the start, then hit the Old School ropewalk forearm and a faceplant for a two count. Heidenreich rolled to the floor, and pulled the Undertaker to the outside to hit some punches. Back in the ring, Heidenreich scored a two count with a clothesline. Back to the outside, Taker took control and elbowed Heidenreich as his neck was stretched over the apron. Taker thi delivered a ring apron legdrop. Back in the ring, Undertaker went for Snake Eyes, but Heidenreich blocked it and grabbed Undertaker in a spinning sidewalk slam for a two count. Heidenreich hit some punches in a corner, then choked him down with his boot. Heidenreich hit a clothesline for another two. Taker battled back with right hands, and Heidenreich grabbed a sleeper, but Taker broke out with a back suplex. Both men were down, but Undertaker sat up at the eight count. The two traded right hands, and Taker hit the flying clothesline for a two count. Undertaker hit a series of splashes in a corner, then hit Snake Eyes and a boot to the face. Taker dropped a leg for a two count. The troops chanted for a Tombstone. Undertaker went for a chokeslam, but Heidenreich kicked Tager and rolled out of the ring. Heidenreich tried to escape through the crowd, but the troops wouldn’t let him through. The referee counted him out, and the troops booed as Heidenreich left up the aisle. Winner via countout: The Undertaker.
Trevor: Effective.
Lou: Very surprising. This actually was a very good match, better than their PPV fight. Heidenreich impressed me here. He’s still no Bob Backlund, but he held his own.
Eddie: This match did what it was supposed to do – an Undertaker win with an effective pop from the crowd. Heidenreich was at his best here, which is still bad, but just a low volume of bad, I guess.
The story of a soldier who has a newborn baby was told, with the soldier informing his wife (via the show) that he was coming home on leave and would see her on Christmas day.
A video package with the wrestlers’ giving their thoughts on the trip was shown, with several of them saying they want to come back again. They also showed the wrestlers thanking the troops personally, with Eddie Guerrero and Lilian Garcia getting choked up as they thanked the troops.
A package was shown discussing the camp they were at in Iraq, and the coins that are given to the soldiers for excellence. The wrestlers were given a special coin for coming over.
Trevor: I guess one of the reasons I like these segments is because of the genuine human emotion they often, and sometimes accidentally, capture. The interaction and the stories were really interesting to hear, and it’s good to be reminded of the sacrifice that the troops make consistently. Where I live, and in general most of America that is not directly tied with a community that lost a lot of troops to the war, doesn’t really feel like there is a war going on. An America that recognizes war is one where every single person’s life is dramatically changed because they know that their fellow man is abroad fighting and dying, for good or for bad. It would be a discussion every day, and not just on the news. But for all intents and purposes, this is not an America that feels at war, and unless you looked at the news you probably wouldn’t think that there is, from an outside perspective. This is an America that takes tax cuts in times of war, and does so gladly. That right there tells you that we need to be better conscious about the individual and personal sacrifices we need to make in so-called “times of war.” Seeing segments that document this daily sacrifice makes that real to me, and it should be real to everyone else.
Lou: I don’t want to get too political, but I will say that 90% of America really doesn’t understand everything, and a good amount of them simply don’t care. That the WWE can discover this human side and bring it to us is a good thing and what makes this show relevant. It’s also nice to see the wrestlers’ human side.
Eddie: Trevor’s emotional comment above sums up my thoughts.
Hardcore Holly vs. Kenzo Suzuki. Kenzo played heel to the crowd as he came to the ring. During this match, they scrolled the names of the people on the technical crew for this show across the bottom of the screen. Kenzo was wrestling in bare feet. Holly took over early with chops, but Kenzo hit a Hot Shot and stomped him down. Suzuki hit a clothesline, then put Holly in a sleeper. Holly came back with a clothesline and dropkick for a two count. Holly hit a top rope clothesline for a two count, then hit the Alabama Slam for the pin at the two minute mark. Winner: Hardcore Holly.
Trevor: Why does Hardcore Holly still work here?
Lou: Amen, Trevor. And why was he selected for a squash match against a former tag champ? Are they actively TRYING to destroy any credibility that Dupree and Suzuki build up? One would think Holly must get a little embarrassed coming out to the ring these days, knowing he’s going absolutely nowhere.
Eddie: 1) Did Holly beat up Kenzo after the match, and 2) Did they turn Puder heel to prevent him from death?
They told the story of a soldier that is currently stationed in Iraq and missed his daughter’s birth.
A video package was shown on how they set up the dilapidated soccer stadium in Iraq for the show. It included some footage of soldiers fooling around in the ring, including doing a strut and “Whoo” ala Ric Flair.
John Bradshaw Layfield came to the ring in a humvee, decorated with JBL stickers and longhorns. JBL was escorted to the ring by armed soldiers, and was wearing a biohazard suit with a cowboy hat on it. They played up the storyline from last week that JBL didn’t want to come to Iraq. JBL, acting nervous, said he wasn’t afraid. JBL said the conditions are “atrocious”, the food doesn’t have “an exit strategy” and their toilet paper is “abrasive”. JBL said that they could at least open up a bar by now. JBL mentioned that whenever he visits, the troops capture someone (Saddam), and he is tired of doing their job for them. JBL joked that Iraq was like being in rehab, due to the lack of cold beer. JBL was looking to make a quick exit, when the Big Show came out. JBL joked that they had just found “the weapon of mass destruction”. Big Show chastised JBL for his attitude, and called him a “deserter”. JBL tried to leave, then tried to sucker punch Show. Show blocked the punch and headbutted JBL to the floor. Show put on JBL’s cowboy hat in the ring, as JBL took off.
Trevor: Good segment.
Lou: This is why I like JBL. He’s funny. He also did a nice job of playing to the troops, while maintaining some heel status. He may not be the best champ Smackdown’s had, but he’s far more entertaining than he sometimes gets credit for.
Eddie: To be honest, I was wondering what they’ll do with JBL. If there’s really one superstar you can point out for contributing the most to entertain the troops, and for getting the most personal with them, it’s JBL. During his time of injury a while back, he spent a lot of time visiting the troops in Iraq, and he was also a part of the reason WWE went there for Christmas in 2003 in the first place. I will always respect and appreciate John Layfield for doing all of this. He managed to play up to a bunch of people who have a lot of respect for him as well, even though he was to be the “bad guy” that night. JBL gets all of my “approved” points here.
They showed a video of last year’s visit to Iraq, which went into a package on this year’s visit, which included having the wrestlers visit Forward Operating Bases during their three days in Iraq.
Another video package on the tour, showing the wrestlers interacting with the troops, was shown.
Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio vs. Luther Reigns & Kurt Angle. Angle got on the mic to explain that he doesn’t “suck”, but was interrupted by Guerrero’s music. Rey and Eddie, decked out in helmets and flak vests, drove a jeep to the ring, with Rey filming the troops with the “619 cam”. Rey had a camouflage mask and ring gear for the match. Angle started out with Rey, outwrestling him on the mat. Rey springboarded out of an armbar, but Angle grabbed him with an armdrag. Luther tagged in and gave Rey a backbreaker for a one count. Angle tagged in, stomping Rey down and hitting a vertical suplex for two. Luther tagged back in and hit another backbreaker, pushing down on Rey’s chin to add pressure to it. Rey kneed out of the backbreaker, and booted a charging Luther twice. Rey delivered a tilt-a-whirl DDT to Luther and tagged in Guerrero just as Angle tagged in. Eddie hit Angle with a pair of clotheslines and decked him with a right hand. Guerrero dropkicked Luther when he ran in, and took Luther and Angle down with a armdrag/headscissor combo off the top rope. Guerrero hit two vertical suplexes on Angle, but Angle blocked the third and applied an ankle lock. Guerrero kicked him into the ropes, and Rey went for the 619, but Luther clotheslined Rey. Guerrero hit Luther with a DDT, and Angle hit Guerrero with an Angle Slam. Rey gave Angle a rana, taking both of them to the floor. In the ring, Luther covered Guerrero for a two count. Guerrero poked Luther in the eyes, and lifted Rey to kick Luther in the back. Rey hit Luther with the 619, and Guerrero followed with the frog splash, but Angle broke up the cover. Angle then charged Guerrero, but Eddie backdropped him to the floor. Rey then hit Luther with a springboard legdrop for the pin at the six minute mark. Winners: Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio.
Trevor: Effective, match of the show. I’m going to say this again: Kurt Angle needs a break from wrestling.
Lou: They don’t really seem to have a plan for Kurt right now. He just kinda shows up on Smackdown from week to week and it doesn’t mean anything. I still think there’s a distinct possibility he’s getting the title soon, though. If not, he should take a break and heal up some more. Isn’t that a big problem with Smackdown, though, when they can’t find a way to get Kurt in the main event scene?
Eddie: Good ending, to a good show.
A music video showing highlights of the trip ended the show. It should be pointed out that in addition to the wrestlers that appeared in the ring, Charlie Haas was also on the trip, as he was shown in the various video packages visiting the troops.
Trevor (8.0)
Keeping in mind that this was a tour not really intended mainly for consumption by the American public but meant to entertain the troops, my score is based on the quality of the execution of that goal, rather than how it played on TV. However, from an entertainment standpoint, the show was fun to watch and the clips about the troops were at times moving. The wrestling wasn’t great, but it was effective at its goal, providing a basic, entertaining wrestling match where the babyface wins. Overall, a better show than last year, and an extremely kind Christmastime gift. A few points off for the politicization of the show.
Lou (7.0)
I’m going a little lower because I can’t help but focus on how it entertained me as well. The first couple of matches were flat, and I felt like they were trying to hard to say, “Look how wonderful the WWE is.” By the same token, NOBODY is going to give them credit in the mainstream media for going there, so I guess it’s OK for them to too their own horn a little bit. I’m glad the WWE does this and it was a better show than last year.
Eddie (8.0)
The idea here was simple – entertain, and show appreciation and respect for a bunch of people that can never receive enough of it. And they did. It doesn’t matter if Vince’s promo was out of touch with reality, or if Foley wasn’t a good Santa. It matters that these superstars traveled a few thousand miles, and lived in scary conditions for a couple of days so they can live and tell, and show through the magic of TV, what goes on the everyday life of the troops. The American public needs to be more appreciative, and shows like these help. What a great Christmas gift to the troops.
CONTACTS
Trevor Hunnicutt — THunnicutt at aol.com
Eddie T — eddie at thebalrogslair.com
Lou Corsaro — nyythurman15 at netzero.com
